


Warlock watches as the world nearly ends

by nighttime_stars



Series: Warlock saunters vaguely into their lives [7]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Apocalypse, Crowley adopts Warlock, Happy Ending, M/M, Parents Aziraphale and Crowley (Good Omens), Warlock Tags Along
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-13 17:53:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21001757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nighttime_stars/pseuds/nighttime_stars
Summary: To Warlock, there seem to be many people who will stop at nothing to have a war. Which means, it's down to some kids his age, an angel and a demon, and some other people to prevent it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, I had to split this into two chapters because it was getting really long but I wanted to post at least some of it. This was meant to be up last week but unfortunately, my dog passed away and I had to take a break. Hopefully, chapter two will be up in the next week or so.
> 
> Enjoy!

Nanny stole a jeep; Warlock sat in the passenger seat next to him and Aziraphale (in the woman he was possessing) and the weird man sat in the back. There were no keys but it worked for Nanny anyway which, after the burning Bentley, wasn’t actually that surprising.

If possible, Nanny drove faster than usual and they soon caught up with the four children on the other side of camp. They, and a tiny dog that Warlock just noticed, were facing off against some really _weird _adults. There were four of them: one had white hair and rubbish swirling around their feet, another had cracking skin, sharp teeth and was holding some scales, and the third had bright red hair and blood running from her eyes. The last one was probably the weirdest as its cloaked figure just stood behind the others.

Jumping out of the car, Warlock followed the adults as they ran over. “That’s the one,” Nanny said, pointing at the curly haired boy who was standing slightly in front of the others. “Shoot him! Save the world!”

Warlock watched as the old man stopped in his tracks ad glance down as the gun in his hands. “You can’t just…” he said. “He’s only a wee boy.”

“Give me that,” Aziraphale snapped and snatched the gun from the man’s loose grip. However, the woman seemed to be fighting him and the two of them wrestled with the gun, alternatively pointing it towards the boy and the sky.

“You can’t kill children!”

“Madam, for the greater good…”

Warlock flinched as the gun went off, closing his eyes against the sudden flash of light. His ears rang from the explosion so he couldn’t make out what Aziraphale/the woman was saying but there was a cloud of smoke above the curly-haired boy.

The woman must have won then.

Tilting his head, the boy studied the woman and asked, “Why did you do that?” Before, Aziraphale/the woman could respond, the boy continued, “Why are you two people?”

“Well, it’s a long story but I was in my bookshop…” _Aziraphale has got back control again_, Warlock thought.

“S’not right,” the boy said. “You should be two separate people again.”

There was no shower of sparkles or a popping noise to indicate that something happened; in one moment, they were sharing one body and in the next Aziraphale appeared in his own next to the woman.

Warlock hung behind Aziraphale and Nanny (who kept stealing glances at the angel, as if to make sure he stayed there). The other kids and the dog had gone back to facing the weird adults and the lead boy turned to his friends and said, “They’re just like nightmares really. We only have to stand up to them.”

The red woman stepped forwards, casually swinging a flaming sword. “I am War,” she said, her voice grand and full of confidence. “Men and boys are made to serve me, to live in me and die in me.” Her words reminded Warlock of his father who regularly told him that war was a ‘necessary evil to protect their country’. During those one-sided conversations, Warlock tended to just nod along; he had little interest in the wider world.

Warlock could see the girl’s shoulders tense as she took a step towards War. Her voice was full of righteousness as she said, “I am not a boy. And my mum says war is just masculine imperialism executed on a global scale.” Warlock wasn’t sure what most of those words meant but it made War pay attention to her.

Raising her flaming sword, War waved it in the girl’s face. “A little girl,” she drawled, “go and play with your dolls, _little girl_.”

A friend of his mother had a daughter that really didn’t like it when Warlock used to say that girls couldn’t play soccer. Apparently, it was partly due to the fact he called it soccer and partly because, to quote her, “girls can play football just as good as boys” (which she proved by taking Warlock out with an amazing tackle). Warlock could see a similarity between his old friend and this girl in the way she jutted out her chin when she replied to War.

“I do not _endorse _everyday sexism.”

Sneering, War swung her sword at the girl and Warlock’s breath got stuck in his throat. Before he could properly panic, the girl ducked under the sword’s arc and stamped hard on War’s foot. With a cry, War dropped the flaming sword which the girl snatched up and, straining slightly to hold it with two hands, pointed it at War.

As the girl lectured War, Nanny turned to Aziraphale and said, “Didn’t that used to be your sword?”

“I do believe it was.”

Warlock wanted to find out more because Aziraphale seemed like the least likely person to use a sword (or a gun to be honest), but the lead boy started talking again and everyone’s attention was back on him.

“Just say what you believe, Pepper.” Warlock thought the girl was already saying what she believed but at least now he knew the girl’s name.

War grabbed the sword, seemingly unbothered by the flames, yet it turned out to be a bad idea. Pepper shouted, “I believe in peace, _bitch_!” and the flames climbed up War’s arm until she was completely engulfed and then pulled her into the sword.

“Drop it, Pepper,” the boy said and the sword clanged on the tarmac. One of the other boys picked it up and pointed it at the adult with white hair.

“And I believe in a clean world,” he said and the person was absorbed by a smoky flame; the only thing left behind was their black crown. The boy passed the sword to the last boy with glasses who directed it to the slim man.

“A-And I believe in enough food,” the boy said shakily. The dog darted forward and bit the man’s ankle and, with a surprised and pained shout, the man followed his friends into the sword, his scales dropping to the floor next to the crown.

The lead boy moved in front of his friends and addressed the last figure, who Warlock had nearly forgotten about with all the other stuff happening as the cloaked person had not moved once. “Death,” the boy said, “this has to stop now!”

When Death spoke, it sounded as if it was speaking directly into Warlock’s mind. He said, “IT HAS STOPPED FOR NOW. BUT WE WILL BE BACK. YOU CANNOT DESTROY ME AS THAT WOULD DESTROY THE WORLD. With a slight incline of its head, Death said, GOODBYE GENTLEMEN (Warlock heard the woman and Pepper exclaim “Hey!” in unison at that) and then, it disappeared by creating what appeared to be a black hole.

Aziraphale turned to Nanny and said, “There, you see Crowley?” It’s like I said…”

“It isn’t over,” Nanny said, tilting his head up to the sky. “Nothing’s over. Both Heaven and Hell still want their war.”


	2. Chapter 2

Nanny pointed at the lead boy and said, “You. The Antichrist. What’s your name?”

“Adam Young,” the boy said.

Just then, a man and woman ran over, breathing heavy; the man’s hair stood on end like he had recently been electrocuted. It took him a moment, but Warlock recognised the woman from the car crash. “Hey!” the woman shouted, angrily gesturing at Aziraphale and Nanny, “You stole my book.”

“Book girl,” Nanny said (probably only just realising who she was). He waved at Warlock behind him and continued. “Don’t worry. It’s a little burnt but we still have it.”

Book Girl rushed over to him and Warlock handed the book over. It was almost completely ruined, practically charcoal at this point, and small pieces kept falling to the floor. In the corner of his eye, Warlock saw Aziraphale pick up one of the pieces that had blown over towards him and stuff it in his pocket. “Thank you,” Book Girl said as she took the book, seemingly unbothered by the state it was in. She headed towards the other children, with the man in tow, and greeted them.

“Hi, Anathema,” Adam replied, “Stopped them from blowing up the world, did ya?”

“Well, my boyfriend here did the tricky bit,” she said, gesturing to the lanky man behind her. He tried to appear modest by shrugging his shoulders but then her words seemed to sink in and he brightened instantly like a puppy. Warlock noticed Pepper shaking her head and muttering in the background.

There was a sudden crack of lightning and Warlock shielded his eyes from the bright flash. When he opened them, Aziraphale and Nanny were standing right in front of him and, through the small gap, Warlock saw a man in a smart suit standing in the middle of a burnt circle where the lightning had hit. The ground beneath them trembled violently as something emerged from the earth next to the man. The swirling mass solidified into another person in a darker, dirtier suit and flies’ eyes on their head.

“Lord Beelzebub. Gabriel,” Nanny said, with an exaggerated bow. “What an honour.”

“Crowley,” Beelzebub said, glaring back at him. “The traitor.”

“Not a nice word,” Nanny muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Beelzebub ignored him. “Is that the boy?” They asked, pointing at Warlock.

“No, that’s him,” Gabriel snapped and stormed towards Adam. “Young man, you must restart Armageddon this instant. A temporary inconvenience cannot get in the way of the ultimate good.”

Raising his chin defiantly, Adam opened his mouth but Beelzebub interrupted. “Crowley,” they said, still focussing on Warlock. “What is this? Who is the real son of our ruler?”

“Uhhh,” Nanny hesitated, glancing between the two boys.

“Aziraphale,” Gabriel said, taking his attention away from Adam, “What is the meaning of this?”

“Well,” Aziraphale said, “There may have been a slight mix-up at the nunnery so…”

“You don’t know! How dumb are you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Beelzebub said. Through some unspoken agreement, Gabriel concentrated on Adam while Warlock shifted uncomfortably under Beelzebub’s gaze. “Wouldn’t you want to rule the world?” they continued.

“Not really,” Adam said and Warlock shook his head slightly. “It’s hard enough thinking of things for my friends to do. I’ve got all the world I want.” Warlock knew that he wasn’t actually the Antichrist but he wanted to say something similar: something like how his father’s and his friends’ attempts to rule the world involved a lot of lying and being away from family. He wanted to say something like how he was much happier with Nanny and Aziraphale and would be ecstatic if the rest of his life was like the time he spent with them.

“You can’t refuse your birthright,” Gabriel said, his face turning red. “Your destiny is part of the Great Plan.”

Aziraphale stepped forwards. “Uh, excuse me?” he said, “You keep talking about the Great Plan.”

“Just shut up, Aziraphale,” Gabriel snapped.

Undeterred, Aziraphale continued, “I’m just not clear on one thing. Is this also the Ineffable Plan?”

“The Great Plan,” Beelzebub said, “It is written. There will be a world and it shall last six thousand years and end in fire and flame…” That sounded like a pretty terrible plan to Warlock. _Why build the earth just to destroy it, _he thought.

“Yes, that’s the Great Plan alright. Just wondering if it was the Ineffable Plan as well.”

Gabriel looked completely baffled, “It’s the same thing, surely?”

Warlock had no idea what they were talking about but Nanny obviously did. He started to smile and whispered gleefully to himself, “You don’t know.” He cleared his throat and, now lounder, said, “Be a pity if you thought you were doing the Great Plan, but actually, you were going directly against God’s Ineffable Plan.”

Everyone was captivated as Nanny continued to speak, “Everyone knows the Great Plan. But the Ineffable Plan is, well, _ineffable. _By definition, we can’t know it.”

Warlock saw the exact moment Gabriel clocked what Nanny was saying. He stopped short before puffing out his chest and saying, “God _does not _play games with the universe.”

Aziraphale and Nanny shared a look of pity. “Where have you been?” Nanny said incredulous, and Gabriel deflated at that.

That seemed to be the key as Beelzebub backed down as well. They had a muted conversation which ended with a glare towards Aziraphale and Nanny. Warlock swallowed a laugh when Aziraphale happily waved back.

“Young…men,” Gabriel said, looking at Adam and, then, Warlock. “You were put on this earth to end it, you disobedient brats. I hope someone tells your father.”

“And someone will,” Beelzebub said, staring only at Warlock. “And he will not be pleased.”

In a much less dramatic fashion than their entrance, they both vanished. Warlock breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that everything was now over. He heard Adam and his friends talking about going home and, suddenly, all Warlock wanted was to go back to Nanny’s flat and sleep for the rest of the weekend.

Nanny groaned in pain and fell to the ground. Warlock rushed over to help him up with Aziraphale and asked, “What’s wrong, Nanny?”

“No no no no,” Nanny said, struggling to stand back up. “They did it!”

“What’s happening?” Aziraphale asked, “I can feel something…”

“They told his father,” Nanny said. His hand held on tight to Warlock’s shoulder as the ground began to shake, a lot more violently than before. “And his satanic father is not happy.”

Fear seized Warlock and everything was suddenly too much. His surroundings became a blur as everyone started shouting and moving around. Flames danced to the side of him and he vaguely registered that Aziraphale had picked up the sword. He focussed on the light and pulled himself back to the moment just as Aziraphale said, “You have to do something… You have to protect him.”

Stumbling forward, there was a lurching feeling in Warlock’s chest as everything changed in an instant. Aziraphale and Nanny were now a few feet in front of him, holding onto Adam’s hands and _something_ was climbing out of a crack in the ground. Billowing red smoke poured out of the crevice and wrapped around the top half of a vaguely human-like giant. “You,” its booming voice said, “come here, my rebellious son!”

“You’re not my dad,” Adam said, completely calm. “Dads don’t wait eleven years to turn up to just tell you off.”

“What!” Satan yelled and everything started exploding around them.

“If I’m in trouble with my dad,” Adam continued, staring up at Satan, “then it won’t be you because you’re not my dad. _You never were_.”

Amazed, Warlock watched as everything changed when Adam said those words. Satan receded, the crack filled up behind him and the buildings fixed themselves as if there were never blown up. Through the remaining smoke, a car pulled up and a normal man stepped out.

“Adam?” The man said, “What on earth do you think you’re doing, young man?”

Running over, Adam shouted, “Dad!” and hugged the man tightly. The other children ran after him and Warlock wandered over to Aziraphale and Nanny.

“Can we go home now?” he asked as Nanny pulled him into a hug.

“Of course, dear,” Nanny said, and all three of them headed home together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! Damn, this part just got away from me because there was so much to write about. There's going to be one more short part (hopefully under 1000s words but these have been getting longer and longer) up by next week that's going to be an epilogue-like thing. And then, I've plotted out the post-canon story for NaNoWriMo but that won't be ready for a while, like 2020 most likely. (Follow me on tumblr @randomwriter2002 where I'll be posting updates and probably snippets of the work). In the meantime, I have some ideas for a Christmas fic and some other short fics so stay tuned if you're interested.
> 
> Thank you so much for everyone's support!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I hoped you enjoyed this part, it was actually really fun to write. Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated and my tumblr is @n1ghtt1me-stars if you have any questions, want to submit prompts or just want to say hi!


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